CLASSIC MOVIE SPOTLIGHT

CLASSIC MOVIE SPOTLIGHT

REVIEW: “The Wrong Missy” (2020)

I still remember the good ol’ days of David Spade. I liked his run on Saturday Night Live and his movies with the late Chris Farley. I remember laughing at his dry, sardonic wit and razor-sharp sarcasm. He was good as the dweeby straight-man foil to Farley’s unbridled, hyperactive goofball. Those days seem so long ago and Spade’s latest movie “The Wrong Missy” does nothing to indicate they’re coming back any time soon.

These days Spade is content with making appearances in a bunch of low-brow flicks with his buddies (Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, etc.) and occasionally starring in Sandler-produced Netflix features. “The Wrong Missy” is an amalgamation of everything I dislike about their brand of comedy. They basically recycle the same garbage over and over again – story elements, character types, gags. If you’re looking for something fresh and original, you won’t find it here. And if you want something funny, you should look somewhere else.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

“The Wrong Missy” is built on an absurd misunderstanding that defies any hint of logic. Then to make sure it holds up for 90 minutes, the writers (Kevin Barnett and Chris Pappas) reinforce it with even dopier plot details. The idea is that Tim (Spade) inadvertently invites the wrong woman to a luxurious work retreat in Hawaii. He meant to invite the gorgeous supermodel Melissa he met at the airport (Molly Sims) but he accidentally invites the loud, obnoxiously vulgar madwoman Melissa (Lauren Lapkus) from his past. How you may wonder? Trust me, it’s best not to ask.

Of course once they arrive at the posh island resort mind-numbing hijinks ensue. Tim, who is a finalist for a big promotion, wants to impress his boss (Geoff Pierson) and his co-workers by showing off his stunner new girlfriend. Instead he shows up with an insufferable, dim-witted ball of chaos. Director Tyler Spindel spends at least 95% of the movie laughing at the ‘wrong’ Melissa and emphasizing her maniacal (borderline psychotic) behavior. Only a few lines of dialogue near the end even try to humanize her. It’s a vain attempt.

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Meanwhile Spade goes about his business rehashing the same old act. He’s mainly a walking conduit for the slew of juvenile ‘humor’, off-putting raunch, and lazy punchlines all of which land with a thud. The real victim is Lapkus who I’m guessing can be pretty funny, but here is weighted down by truly awful material. Her character is shallow, unlikable, and as annoying as the persistent sounds of nails on a chalkboard.

About the only good thing I can say about “The Wrong Missy” is that it clocks in at a lean 90 minutes. That’s a blessing because enduring much more would truly be testing my limits. It’s that bad. I guess these movies have a following and Netflix is somehow finding them profitable. I find many of them to be appallingly bad and “The Wrong Missy” is no exception. It’s a low-rung comedy with nothing to say and that doesn’t even try to do anything fresh or new. Manual labor, oral surgery, or even an insurance lecture would be a more entertaining way to spend your time.

I do like Lauren Lapkus and David Spade but no. Anything from Happy Madison is a big NO!!!!!! Plus, I can’t fucking stand Nick Swardson as he’s just annoying and grating to watch. He thinks he’s funny but no. He’s just an annoying no-talent midget.

Man, this has the Happy Madison stench all over it. Don’t waste a second of your time on it. And I don’t like being so hard on movies. Lots of people put time and effort even into bad ones. But these particular movies are frustrating and annoying because it doesn’t seem like the filmmakers are even trying. They are rehashing the same garbage over and over again.

I hate films like that. I cite the Friedberg/Seltzer parodies as an example of bottom-of-the-barrel filmmaking. These are 2 assholes who are given carte blanche to do what they want and basically don’t do anything new. The laziness of it is just horrendous to the point that you’re not laughing or being engaged. That is the same I felt in watching Grown Ups 2 as it felt like everyone was there for a paycheck and to goof around and not give a shit about telling a story or anything. If I was to rate those kind of films, my rating would be….

It is offensive in terms of not just how lazy it is but also in bad taste. Here’s another film that I think is offensive not just in bad taste but also in exploitation which I saw recently. The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson starring Mena Suvari as Nicole Simpson. I was beyond offended in what I saw.

Basically. Apparently they never once talked to each other over the phone. I guess the invite, the organizing, the airline info, the meeting place, the itinerary, everything must have been done over texts! And I guess the maniacal Melissa is somehow 100% normal when texting? Hoo boy….